Unloading of material



Sept. 8, 1953 A. CROMPTON 2,651,403 UNLOADING OF MATERIAL Filed Aug. 24, 1950 Inventor Arth ur ZIOWIIDZUR Itorneys Patented Sept. 8, 1953 UNLOADING 0F MATERIAL Arthur Crompton, Lincoln, England, assignor of one-half to Robey & Co. Limited, Lincoln, England, a British company Application August 24, 150,'ser a1iv 181,247

In Great Britain September 6,1949

1 Claim. (01. 198-73) This invention relates to the unloading and discharging of conveyor buckets, skips, containers, or the like, and to the design ofsuch containers.

The object of this invention is to provide a satisfactory means of discharging materials, such as ores, coal, rock, grains, and other materials from their containers after transportation.

:Such means to effect the discharging or un-' loading while the bucket, skip or container is travelling.

To discharge the material in such a manner that it falls through a minimum distance in being transferred from the container to the receiver and to prevent dust, etc. from being precipitated into the atmosphere.

To provide a bucket, skip, or container, which will enable the material to be discharged or unloaded with the minimum of movement and to be the most suitable for operating with the un-- loading or discharging mechanism described.

Accordingly this invention comprises a travelling bucket, skip or container attached to any of the known contrivances used for conveying same, and means for automatically rotating or partially rotating the container at a predetermined controlled rate of operation, the contents being discharged through a radially movable chute or trunk having its movement co-ordinated with the vertical movement of the container by means of an extension or portion of the chute which makes contact with the container, or by external means, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic piston.

The invention will be clearly understood from the following description aided by the accompanying drawing which shows, more or less diagrammatically, one example of carrying the in vention into efiect.

The invention can be carried into effect in various ways as to detailed construction.

In the example shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the single figure is a view in elevation, buckets, skips, or containers I are provided, preferably having the sides tapered inwards towards the bottom, such containers I being partially or completely rotatable about their points of attachment to ropes la, chains, belts, etc. used for their raising or lowering.

The containers l have two discs or wheels 2.

Through the centres of the discs or wheels 2 are r pins or spindles 2a which are the points of attachment described above.

Vertical tracks 3 are arranged in the path of the discs 2 and have a suitable shaped lead at the beginning to enable the discs 2 to gradually :1

to ensure positiverotation of the discs 2. alternative is to have teeth on the discs 2 which make frictional contact. The tracks 3 and/or discs ,2 are faced with suitable friction material An will engage with teeth on the vertical tracks 3.

When meeting the vertical tracks 3 the discs 2 make contact and impart a rotary, or partial rotary motion to the bucket, skip, or container l, sufiicient to discharge the contents. The tapered sides of the container I give a sliding action to the contents and eliminate the drop of the material which can produce breakage and damage. At the same time as the track 3 and discs 2 make contact, two other discs 5 are mounted on the rotating centres of the containers I, each of which makes contact with a vertical track 6.

The vertical tracks 6 are resisted horizontally by springs 6a or other cushioning or yielding device, thereby providing a means of adjustment of the pressure of the discs 2 on their tracks 3 and providing a means of ensuring satisfactory alignment of the parts described which make contact for the purpose described. This system of tracks also maintains the bucket, skip, or container l, accurately in its vertical path regardless of the horizontal thrust which is applied during the rotating operation.

A pivo-tally movable chute 4 is raised about its pivot I by means of a bar 8 which is an extension or portion of the chute 4. The container l comes into contact with the bar 8 at a predetermined position so that the pivotal movement of the chute 4 is co-ordinated with the vertical movement of the container I. This co-ordinated movement ensures that the mouth of the chute 4 contains or envelops the portion of the chamber 1 from which the contents are discharged. When the side of the container I, through the continuing rotary motion has assumed a suitable angle over which the material will commence to discharge, the receiving side of the pivotally moving chute 4 also assumes a position which eliminates any sudden drop or sudden change of the angle of discharge when the material is transferred from the container 1 to the chute 4.

The complete action of rotating and transferring the contents from the container I to the chute 4 is conceived to impart a continuous smooth sliding action to the material.

The chute 4 is provided with a movable flap 4a which bridges any gap or opening between the chute 4 and the discharge chute 9, when the chutes 4, 9 are in line and to ensure the contents will always be discharged without spillage.

After the container I has reached the position where discharge is complete, it is returned to the vertical position when it leaves the tracks 3 and 6.

When the bar 8, which is an extension or portion of the chute 4 breaks contact with the container i, thechute 4 automatically returns to its original" position" andis supportedby the bracket ii. The fall of the chute 4 to th original position is controlled by weights I0.

When the chute 4 is too heavy, or when it is desirable for other reasons, the chute-listinerated by some external means.

What I claim as my invention Apparatus for unloading or discharging conveyor buckets and the like, comprising a vertically traveling bucket mounted-on easpindlepiv otally mounted on a vertically movable conveyor,

discs on the spindle of the bucket, vertically mounted tracks on which the discs are adapted to rotate, means for. urging. the: discs towards the tracks, a pivotally mounted chute having aba-r thereon arrangedto extendmtotheipath .ofmovement of the bucket so that the ascendingbucket makes-contact with the bar at a predetermined position whereby the pivotal movement of the chute is coordinated with the vertical movement of the bucket so that by the continuing rotary motion the bucket has assumed a suitable angle so that the material will. commence to discharge, the receiving side of the radially moving chute also assumes a position which eliminates any sudden drop or change of the angle of discharge when the material is transferred from the bucket t'o' the-chute, and the bucket and chute returning te normal position on discharge of the contents.

ARTHUR CROMPTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED' STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 337,734 Braidwood et al. Mar. 9, 1886 980,734 Ankrom- Jan. 3, 1911 11116 030 Collier June 4, 1929 2529297 Kearney et al'. Nov. '7, 1950 2,552,192 Eawson May 8; 1951 

